jhd
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Posts posted by jhd
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It's hard to believe nobody's actually taken legal action against them for that yet.
Unless someone wants to self-represent, it would just not be cost effective to sue for a small amount of money -- even if their time is worth nothing, there are filing fees and related costs that must be paid up front.
The very top tier (with 126 "investors") was only $329. Nobody is going to hire a lawyer to recover this amount (much less anything smaller).
I suppose that someone could sue for a far greater amount than they have contributed to the campaign, but then establishing their actual damages becomes a challenge.
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I was a really late-adopter of the PS 1 -- I bought one second-hand in Spring 2004. Someone in my apartment building offered the console and a bundle of games for Cdn$50. It worked very well for many years.
Stores were still selling new PS 1 games, albeit mostly on clearance, and local rental places were also selling games cheaply. I discovered classic arcade game compilations and, more importantly, JRPGs.
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Slightly O/T, but does anyone know how this cart managed to remain factory sealed for so many years? Was it intentionally purchased by a collector back in 1985 and locked away, or was it NOS found overlooked in the back of a warehouse somewhere?
I have a few still sealed games (PlayStation and PS 2). In every case, these are games that I have limited interest in actually playing, so I have just never bothered to open them. One or two games (that I did not especially want) came as part of a bundle together with titles that I did want. I have no expectations of being able to retire off the future sale of these sealed games.
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My video game collection is very limited in scope, but I have acquired a few random gaming bits and pieces from thrift shops and the like:
A pirate Famicom cartridge
A 3-button Genesis controller (for use with my Atari 2600; not yet tested)
A promotional video tape for the Nintendo 64.
A Wii Nunchuk -- I quite literally found it on the sidewalk on my way home after work last week
Over the years, I have passed on purchasing a ColecoVision Super Action Controller, a Mattel Hyperscan controller, and some Japanese PS 2 games.
Does anyone else have a drawer full of miscellaneous bits of hardware (and/or games), but not the corresponding console?
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I have no interest in a handheld console -- the screens are all too small for me to comfortably see.
I agree that this new device looks cool, but is impractical.
What is the point of the unusual cartridge form factor? If the system cannot play existing Gameboy games, it is of limited use.
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My Atari 2600 came with Asteroids (as well as Combat); I do not know if this was an official Atari promotion or retailer-specific. Asteroids had a separate box.
My original PlayStation came with a multi-game demo disk (I bought it used, but that was still the original pack-in). My PS One did not include any pack-in game (purchased NIB on final clearance).
My PS 2 also did not include a pack-in (though the Singstar bundle was available at the same time).
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I just find it amazing that someone (or even a small group of people) would be willing to spend more on a single video game than the value of many of the houses in my neighbourhood!
Leaving aside the question of which would make the better long-term investment, I know which choice would provide more utility.
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Anyone know where the author David Lustig is today?
I have found two books by what may be the same author:
David Lustig. Wondrous healings of the wise Kabbalists and the ancient physicians (1989)
David C. Lustig. Railroads (1990)
https://www.worldcat.org/title/railroads/oclc/1011615267&referer=brief_results
He was the "West Coast Editor" for Electronic Games in March 1984. I would not be shocked if he eventually moved into freelance writing after the market for video game magazine editors collapsed.
ETA: He is last credited in the February 1985 issue, so he presumably left the role in about December 1984.
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I only owned a small number of games when I originally had my Atari 2600 (1981-1983), but I played some others via rentals or trading with friends.
Asteroids -- This was (and remains) one of my favourite 2600 titles; it was the second-pack-in cartridge
Berzerk -- I discovered the overflow bug when playing on the "kiddie" level; I otherwise quite liked this game
Combat -- I never played this much as I was usually by myself, and it is no fun as a single-player game
Donkey Kong -- Even back then I was disappointed with the graphics, and the fact that there were only two screens
Pitfall! -- I once earned a score high-enough to qualify for a patch, but the photo of the screen did not turn-out
Space Invaders -- Just like the arcade!; I bought this and Pitfall when I was on holidays in Massachusetts
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back -- I borrowed this cartridge from a friend; I really loved the music
Airlock -- Even at age 11 or 12 we knew that this was complete garbage; I felt bad for recommending the purchase (probably based on a catalogue description or advertisement)
Adventure -- I rented it for a week; I was underwhelmed
Cosmic Ark -- ditto
Star Raiders -- Another rental; once I got past the steep learning curve, I very much enjoyed it for the week that I had it
Pac-Man -- I played this at a friend's place; we were impressed that he could clear the maze by saving the Power Pellets for last, but otherwise this was not a great game
I think that my friend had also Vanguard, but for whatever reason I never got to play it.
There may have been one or two other titles that I have long-since forgotten playing. I sold my 2600 in Spring 1983, and I did not get another until about 1989. I paid little attention to console games in the meantime.
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This story appeared in today's Herald:
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-pair-powering-up-with-nintendo-themed-cafe
The cafe, which Bahay said will be located at 1240 16th Ave. N.W. across from SAIT, will feature walls covered in Nintendo consoles, memorabilia and televisions as big as 70 inches.
“We have it available that you can play the old, retro Nintendo (consoles) all the way up to the new Nintendo Switch, and whatever comes after that. We’re trying to bring the old and the new together.”
While visitors will have the option to purchase coffee or baked goods, the cafe will have a yet-to-be-determined rate to play.
Bahay said the location is still under construction, but they are hoping to open in the coming weeks.
This is an interesting variation on the Barcade theme; I will definitely be checking this place out once it opens.
Has anyone ever been to a similar establishment?
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I was thinking in terms of directly replacing Gamestop. I agree that selling something yourself is always the best way to go, but the very fact that Gamestop exists (albeit barely) means that there is a demand for people to get some revenue from their games even if they do not wish to sell them themselves.
As noted above, pawn shops already provide this service; I was wondering if one could offer potential sellers a better deal if they are willing to wait for the item to be sold through.
e.g. A pawn shop will give you 25% of the value of the item in cash today; a consignment shop will give you 80% of the value if/when the item actually sells. (Donating to a thrift shop gets you 0% of the value.)
Personally, I would use such a service. I have no desire to deal with the hassles of selling anything online, yet I have some items that I would prefer to realize revenue from rather than just donate them to charity. Heck, I have used the Gamestop trade-in service in the past (mainly because there was a location within convenient walking distance of my apartment).
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I agree that used buyback is dead as far as GameStop and the like are concerned, but suspect that this will live on (and probably shift more heavily towards) thrift stores and pawn shops. Given that virtually all of them already deal in used hardware and software, it makes sense that a potential seller would gravitate towards them if there are no dedicated retail establishments handling this end of things.
Has the consignment shop model ever been used for selling video games?
I have seen many consignment shops for clothing (usually higher end, fashionable attire) and a few for children's stuff (e.g. car seats, strollers), but not for other products
The main problem I see is that the margin's are going to be very tight. Even if the retailer takes a generous 20% of the sale price, that is only $5 revenue on a $25 used game. On the other hand, capital outlay going to be is minimal as the "stock" is all owned by the consignors.
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:-)) I have to be careful what i say,but taking Jane Whittaker as an example..Account A of personal Aspects of their life,told to person B for article C..were the exact opposite of what they told person D for article E..that alone raised eyebrows.
Could it simply be a desire to ensure their personal privacy, but not want to seem like they are not answering the questions?
Once, in a social situation, I met someone who asked me very personal (and inappropriate) questions. Rather than be impolite and not talk to them, I simply fabricated the answers out of whole cloth. The biographical details I told that person about myself had no basis in reality whatsoever. (I also knew that I would never encounter this person ever again, so no consequences would flow from my deception.) I have fortunately never been the subject of a feature article, but I would certainly think twice about revealing too much personal information.
Winston Churchill himself famously said that "In war-time, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies."
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Early on, there was some speculation about the "parallel port" on the back of the Classic mini, but I heard nothing further about it.
So, what, if anything, is located behind that little cover?
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Right, but they say zellers on the boxes, so it's a stretch to think other stores sold them with the zellers branding? But who knows.....
I routinely purchase generic "store brand" peanut butter from various different grocery stores. The very same product is sold by several different stores; the only difference is the printed label on the jar. The product is manufactured by some third-party, and sold to the various retailers. It is not produced specifically for just one retailer.
Similarly, it seems reasonable to assume that the cartridges sold by Zellers (and packaged for that store) were also sold by other retailers (albeit in different packaging).
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Maybe hard to prove this ever. I did do some hunting and apparently zellers never put any stores in the USA, so unless they sold their products thru any other vendors the 3 zellers titles would not be in the USA set.
There may be some confusion here. Zellers was just a retailer; they never manufactured anything. I still have a Zellers store-brand sweater in my closet, for example.
Zellers was one part of the Hudson Bay group -- current stores include The Bay and Home Outfitters. As far as I am aware, they have never had a presence outside of Canada.
The original source (the developer and/or manufacturer) where Zellers obtained these games is unknown.
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I never understand when schools do that sort of thing, and then go on and on about they need money, and this and that... they are ALWAYS trashing stuff, throwing things away, and demanding newer and better replacements be bought... You would think they would sell, or donate the stuff and recoup some dollars...
Actually, we did just this at my High School.
After graduation, I was hired on a part-time, casual basis to provide technical support for the school's computer lab. A year or so later, the decision was made to upgrade to more modern (PC) hardware. To the extent possible, we sold-off the old computers and applied the money to the purchase of new PCs. I do not recall if we were able also to sell the assorted network hardware, cabling, etc. We raised some money, but not a huge amount.
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It is probably long closed, but back in the early-1980s, on vacation in Florida (probably Orlando or St. Petersburg), my Family went to this museum of working and playable vintage EM games. It has been too long for me to remember the specific details, but it was a great deal of fun for all of us.
Not quite the same thing, but I have seen a few Mutoscopes in working order in public facilities.
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There is much discussion about "emulator converts", but are there any others who have only played consoles in emulation -- never on real hardware?
Personally, I went from an Atari 2600 to a Sony PlayStation. I have never played on a real NES/SNES/Genesis/etc. All of my experience with these systems has been through emulation, albeit on various modern hardware including PC, tablet, phone, PlayStation, and PS 2 consoles. I have more recently purchased several xxx-in-one Famiclones and the NES Classic (though that is currently in storage pending a new TV).
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Understand this...
It's 1983/84-ish...
-- You read Christianity Today magazine and ordered Red Sea Crossing.
-- You walked into a "dubious" adult store and purchased Custer's Revenge.
Does anyone else find this juxtaposition very funny?
I cannot comment on the prevalence of Canadian-sold games in the United States, but I can say that it is certainly not uncommon for American games to be found in Canada. Obviously in most cases the packaging is the very same (making it impossible to determine provenance). Back in the 1980s, I bought much of my collection when I was on holidays in New England. Prices were cheaper and the selection was better.
Exchange rate fluctuations would not help improve the selection, but I can certainly see vacationing collectors purchasing cheap (and, incidentally, Canadian-exclusive) titles at Zellers.
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My area is notoriously bad at CL and thrift stores.
One of the thrift shops around here has an e-recycling bin located in the parking lot in front of the store. It is usually full of CRT TVs; I have no idea about the rules for taking one (or more) from the bin -- I don't have a car nor do I need (another) old TV.
In terms of the thrift shops themselves, I have not seen a CRT TV (or computer monitor) for sale in several years.
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Thank-you for following up on this. I know almost nothing about music, but I am fascinated by obscure hardware, and I am enjoying this ongoing thread.
The comment about Mick Fleetwood being an engineer/designer was very funny.
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When I first started collecting PlayStation games, controllers were both plentiful and cheap at thrift shops. I have about four third-party controllers (some rather odd), and a large number of original controllers -- some in different colours. I also have the multi-tap.
I have the two PlayStation 2 controllers that came with my system, together with another two(?) that I purchased at clearance still sealed in their original retail packaging.
I have no idea how many 2600 controllers I have as they are all packed away in storage. I seem to recall at least two of those unusual Gemini controllers.
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Yes, I saw that Confrontation cart pic on Atarimania. And that pic speaks volumes.
- the cart board must have an eprom under the metal shield because it has a hex inverter on it.
A bit off-topic, but what is the purpose of the metal shield? I have never seen a cartridge with one before.
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Original VCS (or Odyssey) players? (research project)
in Atari 2600
Posted
While I doubt anyone here will be attending this conference, here are the session details just in case:
http://www.pacificsoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-preliminary-program-as-of-January-29.pdf p. 27
As for lengthy delays in academic publishing, I co-authored a paper in 2001 that was not actually published until 2004! By that point, the content of the article was partially out-of-date/stale (and so no longer relevant to the target audience).